Coastin'

Did you miss us? For the last 3 days we have been coastin’ in Big Bend Nat’l Park, Texas. (The park “bends” around the Rio Grande River (2,000 m. long) which divides Texas from Mexico). Now Rip loves to coast. It is one of his favourite things! At home, when returning from Waterdown, once through the hollow at the hilltop he tries to “coast” down Waterdown Road and into our driveway – no gas pedal! It is quite the feat – he has done it many times. The stoplights are the biggest curse – back to Big Bend.

We did lots of coasting in the park. No stoplights there! On our way from the campsite at Chicos (in the mountains which top 8,ooo ft) down to the one by the river at Rio Grande we coasted many miles - record 10 or more! Obviously, no traffic!

We coasted in other ways too. One day it was 97F – we coasted in the heat. On a nature trail illustrating desert plants, we started to feel just as “prickly” as those cactus! Mid-day we decided to do laundry – in the a/c store! Mind you, Rip didn’t have much – he does his “wash and freshly squeezed” bits each day at the campsite and hangs them from the upper bed in the van (aka The Penthouse) to dry. It is a guy thing.

Coastin’ brought many breath-taking sites from multiple deer on our campsite, to the neon tinted birds (tomato-red vermillion flycatcher and bright blue Mexican Jay – wow), to tarantulas, lizards, canyons and river views. A favourite coasting place was a 7:30 am soak in the natural spring hot tub by the RG river. The large, low, stone tub was built in the 1920’s but first nations folk were there long before and left pictographs on the cliffs close by. Hot spring water is considered “old” water, fossil water, ancient and laden with minerals – and claims of therapeutic value for spirit and soul. It was a long, rough, wash-board, pot-holed drive and then walk to get there but soul-quenching as promised.
On our way now to Arizona – more coastin’!